Stock…I don’t have one. I’d be curious to know the measurements of a 60s stock Buffet A barrel.

As you can see, the trend over the years has been “bigger is better” as far as bores go. As we get more volume, we then look for Mp/barrel setups to focus everything up, and around and around we go.

Fun note: barrel number five is my former teacher’s barrel that is absolutely phenomenal. Since he’ll never part with it, I am ordering an A barrel with those exact measurements and the same length for my 1963 A. I’m in love with Taplin and Weir’s European cut, (as well as their excellent customer service), so we will see how close I can get to the focused, dolce sound I’m looking for while updating the style to something unique.

Information from me, Phil, 4May2017:

The reverse taper of the Moennig barrel means that it is larger at the top than at the bottom. But Gentry seems to have missed something I just found on the Internet: Many Moennig style barrels have an hourglass shape with two reverse tapers. So a Moennig barrel may be narrower in the middle. To measure that, I would need to measure in five places. I am just doing three here.

Barrel maker

Top in mm

middle

bottom

Comments

Springer barrel (plastic) I used in college 65mm

14.72

14.6

14.55

Basically straight taper. This has great response but hollow tone.

Backun Protege 65mm reddish wood

14.9

14.86

14.8

Very shallow taper

Handmade wood Barrel by my friend Xaiyu in China 64mm

14.89

14.76

14.64

This is another great player.

Ridenour Ivorolon (white plasti ringed) on Hard Rubber, 64.3mm

15.02

14.88

14.87

Ridenour’s site does not mention that this is supposed to have Moennig bore. And it doesn’t.

Another Ridenour barrel with metal rings that came with one of my clarinets, 63.35mm